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Health News Archive 384 - Arrhythmia
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Omega-3 Fish Oil Helps Stabilize Irregular Heartbeats

As a common heart disorder that affects more than 2.2 million Americans, atrial fibrillation is one of a number of heartbeat disorders called arrhythmias. Although arrhythmias can occur in healthy hearts and not pose any serious health risk, they may also indicate a serious problem and lead to heart disease, stroke or sudden cardiac death.

While conventional medical treatments for arrhythmias include prescription medications, surgery, and pacemakers, research has started to find a safer and more natural alternative in the form of 4 grams of omega-3 fish oil and 1 gram of vitamin C per day because of their ability to help decrease heart rate and normalize certain segments of the electrocardiogram (ECG). A new study in the August 2006 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology continues to find the ability of fish oil to help stabilize irregular heartbeats.

In the study, nearly 5,100 men and women over 65 years of age completed questionnaires on health status, medical history, and cardiovascular risk factors, and underwent standardized physical examination and lab evaluation.  Each patient was then asked about fish consumption, with amounts ranging from less than 4 times per year to 5 or more times per week. Finally, each patient underwent an ECG.

Researchers found that higher intake of tuna or other broiled or baked fish was associated with a lower heart rate, a more normal ECG, and that these effects were elicited with fish oil intake of at least 300 mg per day. Compared to the lowest intakes of fish, the group with the highest intakes of fish decreased heart rates by as much as 2.5 beats per minute.

For the researchers, “Our results suggest that consumption of fish and marine n-3 fatty acids is associated with normal heart function.”

Source: Mozaffarian D. Dietary Fish and n-3 Fatty Acid Intake and Cardiac Electrocardiographic Parameters in Humans. Jou Am Coll Cardiol 2006 Aug; 48(3): 478-484.

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